Shaving apparatus



Nov. 20, 1951 v. R. ABRAMS ETAL SHAVING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 14, 1945Patented Nov. 20, 1951 SHAVING APPARATUS Victor R. Abrams, Rockford,11]., and John Lorenz,

Forest Hills, N. Y.,' 'assignors, by mesne assignments, to- EleanorConn.

Andrews, Greenwich,

Application August 14, 1945, Serial No. 610,162

4 Claims. 1

Thi invention relates to shaving apparatus, and has particular referenceto shear plates for dry shaving devices.

Dry shaving devices of the perforated shear plate type are not aseffective for severing long hairs a they are in cutting short hairs,because they depend upon the stifiness of the hair to spring up withinthe aperture and remain in erect position for severance, whereas thelong hairs frequently are lon er than the diameter of the aperture so asto be held down by its edge and are too flexible or bent to seek anerect position. Hence only the tips of long hairs are cut as they happento be lifted into an aperture, and only then at random after repeatedpassa es of the device over the skin, so that there is no assurance thatthe long hairs will be cleanly severed. In order to remedy thissituation, separate long hair cutting shear plates have been suppliedfor subwith a novel long hair shearing portion to form a combination lonand short hair shaving device.

In its preferred embodiment. the invention comprises a thin, flexibleapertured dome-sha ed shear plate whose under surface is traversed byblades severing hairs proiected throu h the a ertures. and whose outersur ace is provided with a substantiallv radially-slotted cli ping area,preferablv centrally-located on the shear plate, which lifts the longhairs into the oath of the blades for severance thereby to a lengthwhich is readily introduced into and cut in the apertures of the mainshear plate portion.

In one form of the invention the bars of the central long hair cuttingarea that are formed by the slots extend radially to the center, whereasin another form the radial bars terminate short of the center and formcomb-like segments. In both forms the long hairs pass intothe radialslots to be severed by the moving blades into- Figure 1 is a side viewof a shaving deviceembodying the invention shown partly in axial sectionand partly broken away to disclose the structure of the cuttingmechanism;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the combination short and long haircutting shear plate of the shaving device head of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-section therethrough as seen along theline 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of another form of the combination shearplate for a shaving head;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-section therethrough as seen along theline 5-5 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross-section through the combination shearplate and illustrates one method of making the same.

Referring to Fig. l, which illustrates a rotary shaving device of thegeneral type disclosed in said patent, numeral I0 designates a handle inwhich the electric motor, not shown, is mounted for actuating a rotaryhead II which is secured by set-screw I2 to shaft I3 of the motor.Cutter member II is provided with a rim I4 having a conical innersurface I5 a ainst which bear the inclined ed es I6 of a plurality ofsharp-edged blades I1, which are loosely received in substantiallyradial slots IS in the cutter member II. The blades are capable of axialas well as radial movement up the conical inner surface I5, in responseto centrifugal force acting thereon during rotation of the head I I, sothat the cutting edges of the blades I! move into intimate engagementWith the under surface of the shear plate l9.

The shear plate I 9 is of domeor convex-shape and is supported at itsperiphery in a collar 20 which is detachably connected to the upper endof handle I I3 by means of pin and bayonet slot connections 2!. Theblades are retained on the cutter member II by means of a spring ring22. received in under-cut groove 23 formed in the upper surface of thecutter member I I and passing loosely through aperture I'm in each ofthe blades IT. The shear plate I9 is provided with a plurality of spacedapertures I9 preferably circular, as shown in Fig. 2, through which theshort hairs project for severance by the sharp edges 24 0f the blades IIcooperating with the edges of the apertures I9.

As shown particularly in Figs. 4 and 5, the center portion of the shearplate I9 is provided with a circular opening in which is set a disc 26whose under surface is flush with the under surface of shear plate I 9and conforms to-the curvature thereof. In order to have stiffness, thethickness of disc 26 preferably exceeds the thickness of the shear plateI9, being on the order of about .015 inch as compared to about .603 inchfor the shear plate It. Accordingly, the disc 23, being flush with theunder surface of the shear plate I3 is undercut around its lower edge sothat its upper edge forms a flange or shoulder 25 which is elevatedslightly above the upper surface of shear plate ii) asshown in enlargedcross section of Fig. 3. The flange or shoulder 25 of the disc 26 isrounded so that it merges smoothly into the upper surface of shear platel9.

As shown especially in Fig. 2, the disc 26 is pierced by a plurality ofuniformly spaced wedgeshaped slots 27, thus forming a plurality ofspaced, radially extending bars 28 and an imperforate center portion 29of substantially circular shape. The inner edges of the blades I!describe a circle designated 30 in Fig. 2, which.

approximately bisects the center of each radial bar 28. may be on theorder of .OZ inch, more or less, in width, and the angular spacingbetween adjacent teeth may be on the order of 18. The bars 28 arerounded at their outer edges and, as indicated', their inner edgescooperate with the ends of the blades IE to sever hairs projectingthrough the slots 21.

In the other form of the disc 26 shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the bars 28 aredefined by parallel-sided slots. 22" and the teeth 28 do not extend tothe center of the button 26 but are interrupted by an open center 3i andstiffening bars 32 extend across the open center 3|. The outer edges ofthe teeth =or bars 28 extend inwardly from pcripheral flange or shoulder25 to a point beyond the circle of rotation 39 of the inner edges of theblades is, as shown in Fig. 4. Two or three stiffening bars 32 may beemployed instead of four, thus providing a larger net center opening 3 IAlthough both discs 26 and 23' are relatively stiif, the shear plate 19beyond their edges is flexible and support against undue flexure ofshear plate it is afforded by a button B placed immediately below butspaced slightly from the center portion 23' of the disc 2% and thecrossing portion 33 of the stiffening bars 32 of disc 26.

In operation of the arrangements of Figs. 2

and 3, movement of the shear plate 49 with the annexed center disc 25over the skin causes the long hairs to enter the radial slots 2? and besevered by the sharp edges 24 of the rotating blades I? against thecorresponding edges of the bars 23. Although disc 26 is relatively thickin the illustrated forms, it severs the long hairs to a length such thatthey can readily be severed substantially even with the surface of theskin as the shear plate it moves over it and traps the shortened hair inone of its apertures 2?.

Similarly, in operation of the form of Figs. 4 and long hairs pass intothe center opening 3! of disc 25' and thence between the bars 28' intoslots 2? for severance between the blades 59 and the corresponding edgesof the bars 28. Shorter severance is effected in the body of thesurrounding shear plate is in the manner described.

In the arrangements of Figs. 3' and 5, the cen-- ter disc 25 or is setinto an opening punched or otherwise formed in shear plate I9, andsoldered, brazed or otherwise secured in place. In order to avoidpossible distortion of the thin shear plate i9 by the soldering orbrazing heat, and to simplify assembly, a circular blank 34 with anupstanding circular flange 35, shown in phantom in Fig. 6, and piercedwith the spaced bar arrangements of Figs. 2 or 4, is inserted into theThe dimensions of the radial bars- 28- center opening of the shear plate19 and the flange spun or peened over upon the upper surface of shearplate l9 as shown. The corners are preferably rounded after assembly andthe combination head thus completed without soldering, brazing, or otheroperation. Since the lower surface of disc 34' is-not coextensive withthat of the shear plate 19 as in Figs. 1 to 5, the blades must berecessed to accommodate the underside flange of disc 34.

Although certain preferred embodiments of the invention have beenillustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited thereby but is susceptible to changes in formand detail within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

I. In a combination with a shaving apparatus having a thin flexibleshear plate and a cutter traversin the under surface of said shear plateabout an axis substantially normal thereto" to sever hair projectedtherethrough, said shearv plate having a center opening and. a thickenedmember mounted in said shear plate opening and positioned over saidaxis, said member. being slotted substantially radially to form spacedbars intercepting the path of movement of said cutter adjacent to itsaxis of movement, whereby hairs introduced into the spaces between saidbars are severed by the cutter.

2. ma combination with a shaving apparatus having a flexible shear plateabout .003 of aninch in thickness and a cutter having spaced apartsubstantially radially extending blades traversing the under surface ofsaid shear plate about an axis substantially normal thereto to severhair projected therethrough, said shear plate having a center opening, aradially-spoked disc about .015 ofan inch thick mounted in said shearplate opening and overlying said axis with the spokes thereof at leastpartially intercepting the path of movement of said cutter and extendinginwardly beyond the inner ends of said blades, whereby hairs introducedintothe spaces between said bars are severed by the" cutter, and asupporting member mounted on said cutter and engaging the middle of saiddisc to resist inward flexing of said shear plate.

3. In a combination with a shaving apparatus having a thin flexiblecircular shear plate having a plurality of apertures therein and acutter engaging the under surface of said shear plate and rotatableabout an axis substantially normal to the center of the shear plate tosever hair projected through said apertures, a disc-like member in thecenter of said shear plate, said member being thicker than said shearplate and having an annular opening overlying the path of said cutter,and substantially radial bars on said member extending at least part Wayacross said annular opening to intercept the path of movement of saidcutter adjacent to its axisof rotation, whereby hairs introduced intothe spaces between said bars are severed by the cutter.

4. In a combination with a shaving apparatus having a thin flexibleshear plate and a cutter traversing the under surface of said shearplate about an axis substantially normal to its center to sever hairprojected therethrough, a ringshaped member at the center of and thickerthan said shearplate, a plurality of substantially radial bars extendinginwardly from said member at least part Way across said annular openingto intercept the path of movement of said cutter,

5 6 whereby hairs introduced into the spaces between said bars aresevered by the cutter, and UNITED STATES PATENTS a. supporting member onsaid cutter engaging Number Name 7.- Date said bars to resist inwardflexing of said shear 1,332,686 ReynPlds 2, 1920 mam 5 1,467,916Behrmger Sept. 11, 1923 VICTOR ABRAMS 1,878,327 Rimmelspacher et a1.Sept. 20, 1932 H LORENZ 2,185, 37 POWBI'S Dec. 26, 1939 2,217,519 MeyerOct. 8, 1940 2,280,836 Moskovics et a1. Apr. 28, 1942 FEFERENCES CITED10 2,291,852 Weatherford Aug. 4, 1942 The following references are ofrecord 111 the 2,331,873 Thews Oct. 19, 1943 file Of this Patent2,416,776 Schlotthauer Mar. 4, 194-1

